Christian Drouin 16 ans d'âge Clarendon Angels - Calvados Pays d'Auge

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 47.5% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Clarendon Angels brings together long-aged Calvados Pays d'Auge and the influence of Jamaican rum casks. For this blend, 16-year-old calvados underwent a five-month finish in five former casks of Clarendon MLC rum from the 2020 vintage. MLC stands for Monymusk Light Continental. The rums previously matured in these casks are characterised by a high concentration of aromatic esters and pronounced exotic fruit notes.

Following Hampden and Long Pond, Christian Drouin has devoted another release in its Expérimental series to Jamaican rum. Clarendon Angels is the series' 13th edition, with a release of 1,788 bottles. This amber-coloured calvados was bottled in 2026 at 47.5% in 0.7-litre bottles and contains no colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, dried apples and apricots combine with ripe banana and notes of sugar cane.
• Palate: The calvados is intense and powerful on the palate. Praline, dried fruit and pepper are balanced, while the fruit also has a creamy quality.
• Finish: The fruit lingers on the finish, accompanied by warmth and a light pepper note.

Distillery/Bottler:

The history of Christian Drouin began in 1960 with the purchase of the Fiefs Sainte-Anne farm near Honfleur. Working with experienced distiller Pierre Pivet, Christian Drouin senior distilled the cider produced there into calvados, initially building up stocks of aged spirits. Sales only began in 1979 under his son. In the early 1990s, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Évêque. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined in 2004 as the third generation and took over the management of the company in 2013.

For its Calvados Pays d'Auge, the house distils cider twice in a pot still with a capacity of 2500 litres. The heads and tails are separated, with the cut points adjusted to the characteristics of each cider. The cellars mainly hold small casks, many of which have already been used. Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste the entire cask stock each year and decide on its further maturation and use. They create the blends together from their selections.

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